Sky Presence I

Artist Louise Nevelson (American, 1899-1988)

DateJuly 1961

DimensionsH: 116 3/8 in. (295.5 cm); W: 244 1/4 in. (620.4 cm); Depth: 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)

MediumWood, black paint

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1986.22A-Y

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 07

Label Text“I began to see things, almost anything along the street, as art…that’s why I pick up old wood that had a life, that cars have gone over and the nails have been crushed…All [my] objects are retranslated—that’s the magic.” —Louise Nevelson Inspired by the ancient art and architecture of Mexico and Central America and by Louise Nevelson’s affinity for myth and legend, Sky Presence I is loaded with veiled references to the artist’s private life and inner thoughts. Although the sculpture may embody Nevelson’s recurring themes of royalty, marriage, and death, its essential mystery remains intact. Sky Presence I is made up of 24 separate boxes filled with fragments of wood originally made for other purposes (how many objects can you identify?). The structure is unified by the color black—which Nevelson described as “aristocratic, weightless, containing all colors”—and also by the precision Nevelson brings to her work. She carefully considered the placement of every box and piece of wood in terms of its shape, direction, and juxtaposition. Look for the ways she balances and contrasts curves and straight lines, rough and smooth textures, and receding and projecting elements.Published References"La chronique des arts," Gazette des Beaux-Arts, vol. 109, no. 1418, Mar. 1987, p. 48.

Newsbriefs, New Art Examiner, vol. 14, no. 8, Apr. 1987, p. 9, repr.

Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Treasures, Toledo, 1995, p. 174, repr. (col.).

"Louise Nevelson, 1900-1988." ARTaFACTS, vol. 5, no. 2, Oct/Nov 2001, repr. on cover.

Exhibition HistoryBaden-Baden, Staatliche Kunstalle, Louise Nevelson: Holzwände (wooden walls), Sept. 24- Oct. 22, 1961, (exhibition catalogue).

Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, Modern and Contemporary Masters: Paintings, Sculpture, and Drawings, Feb. 11 - Mar. 24, 1984, cat. no. 66, b&w illus.